National+Issues+and+Perspectives

EDEL 635 Rusty Strouth Large Group Project-National Issues Leadership Problem** : Are the accountability systems present in the re-authorization of **** IDEA ****, mainly the end of the year assessments called the SOL’s, the right way to measure progress for special education students? Are there other ways of measuring adequate yearly progress and growth other than standardized testing? **


 * NATIONAL ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES **

On the national level, there is much debate concerning the use of end of year assessments to measure the progress of regular students and special education students alike. Much debate and discussion has occurred concerning whether or not teachers are teaching to a test, or are teaching what students need to learn and understand for success in life and higher education. Much debate has occurred over the merits of testing special education students. This testing, in many cases, has led to special education students becoming discouraged. Many times these students stop caring, and then drop out of school. Many of us have seen this happen with our own eyes.

There are about 38 different states using some sort of performance assessment in the state educational program. These assessments include enhanced multiple choice tests, interviews, observations, group performance assessments, individual performance assessments, portfolios, and others. Decisions that each state must consider include how many students with disabilities to include in assessments, what type of modifications should be allowed for special education students that are included in assessments, what constitutes excluding students from assessments, and many other situations. Another important factor being debated in the states includes the manner in which these assessments are presented to regular education and special education students.

National standards, such as NCLB, include students from all walks of life, socio-economic backgrounds, and differing levels of academic capability. Some things that can make assessment for special education students more consistent on a state by state level include established guidelines concerning the number of tested special education students annually, established guidelines as to what constitutes exclusion of special education students, and a commitment to a program for assessing special education students.

It is the opinion that assessments such as the SOL tests are not the best method of assessing special education students. While they may be modified and special testing modifications may be applied to each student determined by their needs, they are not the best method of analyzing the growth and academic progress of special education students. All states need to include an assessment program similar to the VGLA system and the VAAP system currently used in Virginia to analyze the performance and growth of students. Some states are currently developing similar programs, and some are not even close to beginning.

WEBSITES OF INTEREST:

REFSmDerived from Thurlow, M. L. (1994). National and State Perspectives on Performance Assessment and Students with Disabilities. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Product # P5060. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2009/08/policies_for_students_with_dis.html

http://aasep.org/aasep-publications/journal-of-the-american-academy-of-special-education-professionals-jaasep/jaasep-summer-2006/does-inclusion-help-students-perspectives-from-regular-education-and-students-with-disabilities/index.html

http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-1/state.htm

www.**osepideasthatwork.org**/ parentkit/ **disabilities**.asp